Marta Vi is a self taught artist through living since the 80’s. I work with all media, growing up in an environment where everything was recycled made me develop skills that gave me the perspective I have today. I like to work with natural and recyclable materials to create new pieces in an effort to help solve the waste problem. As a singer, I like to improvise, working with my surroundings and emotions. And in that line I explore the lights and shades of emotion through voice and sounds.

Katie Down is a performer, composer, sound artist/designer and multi-instrumentalist. Originally a classically-trained flutist, Katie's abiding interests are in the realms of sound art and Deep Listening as a way into musicking and artistic inquiry. Additional instruments include piano, ukulele, glass instruments, steel cello, various types of percussion including frame drums, doumbek, djembe, and other hand drums and voice. Katie's sound designs have garnered her Drama Desk nominations and the award for best sound design from The Connecticut Critic's Circle.

Katie is the recipient of several grants, residencies, and commissions including the Mid-Atlantic fund, The Jerome Foundation, BAM, Watermill Artist Residencies, Chashama, Music Omi, and Meet the Composer, and performs with NewBorn Trio, Sofie Salonika, and The Ukuladies! Katie is an associate professor of Music Therapy at SUNY, New Paltz, encouraging her students to be agents for positive change by connecting to each other through music and sound.

https://www.katiedown.com

Earth Celebrations was founded as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization on the Lower East Side of New York City in 1991, by social action artist Felicia Young, to engage communities to generate ecological and social change through the arts. For the past 30 years our programs have applied the inspirational power of the arts to build community, collaboration and action on climate change, water quality, river restoration, waste management, and the preservation of species, habitats, nature, gardens, parks, and a healthy urban environment. Earth Celebrations has pioneered and developed innovative strategies utilizing collaborative arts to build broad-based coalitions and diverse sector partnerships with local organizations, academic institutions, government agencies, schools and community residents to work together and mobilize action to achieve common goals and ecological, policy and social change.

EARTH CELEBRATIONS PROGRAMS:

Impact issues including: climate change, water quality, river restoration, waste management, and the preservation of species, habitats, nature, parks, gardens, and a healthy urban environment.
Cultivate the inspirational power of the arts to engage and mobilize communities to take action on environmental issues and climate solutions.
Build broad-base coalition efforts bringing together organizations, academic and cultural institutions, municipalities, government officials, schools, community centers, neighborhood associations artists, and local residents to work together creatively for common goals
Develop strategic and creative diverse sector partnerships
Promote and implement sustainable methods and practices
Creative Climate Actions | Ecological Art, Performance, Pageants/Processions, Festivals & Events | Public Cultural Action | Arts & Sustainability Workshops | Ecological Artist Residencies | Community Engagement Sessions | Educational Ecological Arts Curriculum Development | Art & Ecology Exhibitions | Film-Slideshow Screenings | Panel Discussions & Conferences | Environmental Advocacy Initiatives | Coalition-Partnership Building

https://earthcelebrations.com/about-earth-celebrations/

Earth Celebrations in partnership with – Lungs (Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens), Elizabeth Street Garden, Green Map, Loisaida Inc. Center, Lower East Side Ecology Center, Solar One, Waterfront Alliance, East River Park Coalition, East River Alliance, East River Park Action, Friends of Corlears Hook Park, Goles, University Settlement, The Children’s Workshop School (PS361M), Henry Street Settlement, Boys and Girls Republic, Jacob Riis Cornerstone, East Village Community School, Stuyvesant High School, Bard High School, The Earth School (PS364), Sixth Street Community Center, Arts Loisaida, Clemente Center, Lower East Side Girls Club, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, Theater for the New City, East Village Community Coalition, Educational Alliance, Museum of Reclaimed Urban Space, Mos Collective, Gaia Institute, Moving for Life/Studio 55C, Global Water Dances, Grace Exhibition Space, FABnyc, Earth Matters-NYU, Office of Sustainability-NYU and New York University.

This program is made possible with support from Con Edison, Howard Bayne Fund, Milton & Sally Avery Arts Foundation, W Trust, Joseph Robert Foundation, Bluestein Family Foundation, KPG Funds, New York State 74th Assembly District-Member Harvey Epstein, private foundations, individuals and with public funds from Creative Engagement, a regrant program supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by LMCC.